HOYLE’S END OF SEASON REVIEW PART 2

10 May 2013

Dave Sykes

Town Chairman’s verdict and plans for the summer

Huddersfield Town Chairman Dean Hoyle has given an in-depth interview after the conclusion of the 2012/13 season, reviewing the Club’s first season in the Championship and giving his thoughts on the upcoming campaign.

Here is part two of his four part review – to read part one, click HERE!

Hoyle believes Mark Robins is the right man for the job at Town and has enjoyed their new working relationship since he moved to the Club from Coventry City in February 2013.

Dean explained: “I’m enjoying working with Mark. When he arrived at the Club he had a very tough job and people will have heard him discuss how hard the final 15 games were, but he will have come away with good experience.

“Mark worked with the players we already had at the Club as the transfer window was closed; all he has done so far is bring Theo Robinson back on loan, to add the threat of pace up front in Jermaine’s absence.

“Now he can really put his marker down and lead the players in what is required. Mark wants to play high intensity football and I firmly believe we will pass the football better next season. We’ve played a bit too long this season and that’s not what anyone has wanted, although it has been a high-pressure situation.

“Mark had one on one meetings with every player before they went away on Monday and perhaps some of the players wouldn’t have liked what he had to say, but he told them in no uncertain terms what was required during the break and then next season.”

The key job for Hoyle is to get the summer recruitment right heading into the new campaign.

“We have to recruit the right players to progress the squad to the next level; those that fit with the Club and our football philosophy. Without naming them, we know what kind of player we want to bring in and we have a list of targets. Lots of hard work has been put in already, quietly and behind the scenes. Obviously strikers are high on the agenda, as we have very few in contract as things stand. Our stance on James Vaughan is well documented, but we still need others and we have targets in mind.

“The identification of transfer targets is a constant process and our Head of Football Operations Ross Wilson will join Mark Robins on a plane on Sunday to go and watch targets we have been monitoring during the season in Europe. Over the last 12 months, over 1,000 player reports have been filed by our scouting team.

“At this moment we have Jimmy Spencer and Daniel Carr in contract for next season. They will get the opportunity to show what they can do.”

“We may also look to utilise the loan market, as we did successfully during the 2012/13 campaign.

“I’ve seen people having a dig about our use of loan players, but the facts are we were in the bottom third of the division in terms of number of loans used last season – we had just six. It’s also important to acknowledge that the players coming in on loan have done well.

“We couldn’t afford to buy Jermaine Beckford or Neil Danns and pay the wages they are on at Leicester, but they came in on loan and did the job. Another loan player, James Vaughan, is the Club’s Player of the Year. They all dispelled the myth that loan players are not committed.”

Part three will follow on Monday - we'll send you it first if you sign up to Town's newsletters HERE now!